Pope Choses Eight Cardinals To Advise Him, Study Reforms...............

Pope Francis on Saturday set up a group of eight cardinals from every continent to advise him about governing the church and study administrative reforms, the Vatican said.

Francis, the former Argentine cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, was elected by a conclave of cardinals exactly a month ago amid expectations that he would undertake such reforms.

In a brief statement, the Vatican said that Francis had named eight cardinals from around the world to the group that will examine updating the constitution of the Roman Curia — the Church administration which analysts say is badly in need of reform.

The cardinals include two Europeans (Italy and Germany), two from Latin America (Chile and Honduras), one from North America (USA), one from Asia (India), one African and one Australian. 

The announcement came a month after Francis was elected leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics and a week after he made his first appointment to the scandal-hit Vatican bureaucracy, naming a leader of the main Franciscan order as the number two of the institution that oversees all Catholic religious orders. 

Vatican observers are eagerly awaiting other key nominations to top Curia posts expected in the coming weeks, which could provide vital insights into the new pope's intentions for the Church.